Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Table Borders Won't Print.

Table Borders Won't Print

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 31, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


When you create a table in Word, you can include borders on each cell in the table. When you first add a table to your document, borders are added automatically. The borders that appear around your table on the screen should also print when you send your document to the printer.

If the borders do not print, chances are good that it is because there may not really be borders on your table. This may sound funny, but table borders generally appear as solid lines. If you don't see such lines, but instead see a light gray "shadow" line for your borders, these are not really borders—they are table gridlines. They are provided by Word so you can see where your table is on the screen. If you suspect this is the case, simply apply new borders to your table to ensure they are present.

If your borders still won't print, you may also want to ensure that you have the latest version of your printer driver. You can download the latest from the Web site for your printer manufacturer.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (876) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Table Borders Won't Print.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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